Personal Experience: PETER GREGERSON

Testimony of Peter Gregerson

It all happened a good while ago. I will give you my memory of it.

In 1933 my dad was persuaded to become a part of the group called “Bible Students” at Clinton, Iowa. They were sweet older people. But change was in the air. I was the oldest of eight children and was taken by my dad to all the meetings and later participated in activities which included, not saluting the flag, wearing sandwich signs in parades and standing for hours on street corners with a sign reading “Religion is a snare and a racket.” Mob action resulted where I saw heads smashed by protesters. Later on, in 1949, in Wyanet, Illinois I was beaten until I was blinded temporarily.

My “pioneer” work began at age 20 and I was soon the “company servant” at Dixon, Illinois. A year later, I was sent to resolve problems at Peoria, Illinois as congregation overseer and city servant. Then, two years after that, I was sent to Davenport, Iowa with similar instructions, and a few years later later on to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in the same capacity.

My career in the supermarket business gave me important buying power for purchasing food for conventions and so I became personal friends with people at headquarters including Colin Quackenbush, editor of Awake, Ray Franz, a main writer and governing body member as well as David Olsen and Malcolm Allen of the Service Department.

In December 1976 I was called to a special and confidential meeting to address the Societies concern with losing Witnesses due to the 1975 failed prophecy. One day was spent on injustices and cruelty as a product of the judicial system. The heart breaking problems were widespread. I went home very concerned and determined to renew my belief in the Watchtower as God’s only organization.

As a result of my in-depth study, I came to the terrible realization that the Watchtower was a fraud!

Years later I wrote my booklet, “Is the Watchtower God’s only Organization?” which covers my study of their own literature.

Ray Franz was visiting at my house when I told him I would be leaving the Watchtower I had some previous conversations so he knew my feelings. He suggested that we have some extended private time together. We did and he spilled out all his concerns and reservations. Soon he was forced out of the governing body and left Bethel. He and Cynthia had no place to go so I provided a place for them to live with a job. I offered an office job in my company but he wanted to do outside work.

He lived on my property and almost daily I urged him to write a book about our conversations. He kept saying it would take a year, so I paid him his salary for a year to write Crisis of Conscience. (He was disfellowshipped for eating a meal with me, a “wicked man” who had left the organization.)

I had to face the problem of a wife and seven children who were 100% in “the truth”. Most of the key employees in my Supermarket chain were elders! And of course I had many dear, dear friends as a result of a lifetime of serving in the organization, which included teaching the elder school in Alabama congregations and serving in the administrations of large conventions. I faced a terrible loss of friends.

My relationship with my familial sisters and brothers was very close and so it was tough when one of my sisters told me “Peter, I love you but I will never speak to you again as long as I live.” Another brother took the same position. So I empathize with those who lose brothers and sisters, father and mother and children. I count it the greatest blessing to have helped my wife and all seven children out of the organization!

I have written several booklets which are intended to help ex-witnesses face the future as Christians. Subjects such as the importance of doctrine and that God’s Kingdom is on earth, (which is not a Watchtower exclusive) and that the “no hellfire” teaching is not theirs exclusively either

The response has been gratifying and has given me a sense of purpose for my new life. For several years I have been serving in a jail ministry which too has given me great satisfaction and has been a real blessing.

True, I learned some good things as a Witness but as a result of my in-depth study, I now know that their claim to be God’s exclusive organization is an absolute impossibility! It took time to unravel fifty years of their indoctrinations but I thank God every day that I’m free and now have a real relationship with Him and his son Jesus Christ!

Thank you , Peter, for your personal account, and I share your blessed freedom. Come share more beliefs with others congregating to encourage worship of Jehovah with spirit and truth away from WT. The site is …christian.forumatic.com. I am John S.

I live in Hattiesburg, MS and would like to come visit or you could come see me and my wife, too.

I also believe I saw you throughout the years I lived in Mississippi, and worked quick build projects, and attended assemblies in Mobile. I recognize you. I was a JW until I was 52, and now I am 60. I resigned because of realizing the WT was not teaching Jesus’ messages, along with their brutal treatment of Jesus’ sheep.

I still write hoping other former brothers and sisters will love God’s word over WT doctrine. Time will tell.

Peter has an amazing video which helped me a lot in gaining mental freedom. I also hope this can be put on the site. |t addresses the problem of having left the organisation and yet never having become mentally free. Of, course there are many new things online now but some of the earlier work is still valid and very helpful. This is one.

I remember you Peter, as an overseer at the KH in champaign IL. My family left the organization in the ’80’s and moved to Florida where I made one attempt to return, and I too was very unhappy. It took me a long time to make the change. My daughter Pam and I have found salvation through Gods Grace and try to teach others of the gospel of grace….faith in the death, burial and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST.My husband Fred, daughter Kathy and son Bobby have since passed away but none were in the watchtower religion. I’m so glad your family are now free too.

I recently got disfelloshiped and have been labeled an apostate. My sister and I both are now Christians, I grew up in the 70’s got baptized at 11 yrs old. Was a JW for over 50 yrs, most of my family are still JW’s, my 2 daughters and my 4 grandchildren are still JW, I’m no longer able to talk to them or have any association with any of them. My 17 yr old granddaughter sent me a text stating that she loved Jehovah and had to obey his commandments and not associate with me! I knew it would happen and I explained that like wise I had learned about Jesus our savior and was free from the organization of men, and I obeyed Jesus Christ my lord and savior. The Ten Commandments says honor your mother and father, that’s a commandment written by God. When your told by a team of men making all the rules ask yourself, who should I believe God or men!!! I’ve have had no contact with any of that part of my family, but I continue to press on and be free to serve my lord Jesus and not men. I’ve heard Peter Gregerson speak at many, many times a dynamic speaker!! I’ve followed him from time to time! I met David once in Gadsden Ala. when we were both real young, wasn’t long after they left the organization. There’s so much more to say, I always was curious as to why you weren’t allowed to do any reading or research of another religion, I’ve always been interested in all sorts of things, once I was reading a motivational book, a brother saw it in my bag and said you better be careful what you’re reading, that could be Satan’s why of getting in….. glad to be free!!!!

It’s such a sad story. It has happened hundreds of time, and has been similar in so many cases. I hope that your faith will help you through such a terrible experience — all brought about by the injustice and misunderstanding of a few people. We can continue to pray that the leadership of the Witnesses would someday be willing to look into these matters themselves. I think it’s mostly a matter of pride — not being willing to admit that they have made a mistake.

Crisis of Conscience helped thousands of distressed people, including my family. I learned from your story that the book probably wouldn’t exist without you. You deserve equal credit for the book, but I don’t think many people know that you paid Ray’s salary for a year while he wrote it.